


Token

by sonofnjobu



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Black Panther Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluffmonger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 12:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15485361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofnjobu/pseuds/sonofnjobu
Summary: An anonymous request came through from someone on their birthday. Seems it wasn't a great day, so here's a fluff piece about Erik giving a shit about your birthday when it seems no one else does.





	Token

Historically, your birthday had never exactly been great. As a child, all of your school friends were off at summer camps or on vacations with family. You’d gotten used to the disappointment. No one was ever available to celebrate with you other than your aunts and uncles and a few cousins.

At least back then, your grandmother would hand you a birthday card with $20 in it, but now that you were an adult, that had stopped. Which you found hilarious because as a broke grad student at MIT struggling to pay Boston rent, you needed that $20 now more than ever.

This birthday, you were one of the few people on campus for the summer semester. You were trying to haul ass through this program and get your Masters as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that meant that none of your friends were either and you had no one to celebrate with.

Your professor droned on in the front of the class and you scrolled aimlessly through your Facebook. You’d received the standard amount of “Happy Birthday” messages from people you hadn’t seen in years, but you were still bummed.

Other people had their rooms filled with giant metallic balloons on their birthday, or one of their friends would go through the effort of making a compilation video. Some people got those giant sparkling candles or Sephora gift cards. A surprise party was completely out of the question as there was no one to plan it and no one to attend.

It always seemed to happen to someone else. You wondered if you’d ever get to feel special. 

Did that make you selfish?

Maybe.

But it was your fucking birthday. You deserved to have fun!

You snapped out of your daydream of a large and lavish party when your classmates all pushed up from their chairs and began to pack away their laptops and books. You slowly gathered your things and resolved that you’d just go get some ice cream at the corner store and have a movie night in. You’d even take a Lyft to treat yourself.

You felt your phone buzz in your pocket and you fished it out.

Your eyes widened when you saw a message from Erik Stevens on the screen.

“Yo. It’s your birthday!”

You’d met Erik at a few overly cramped apartment parties and had been completely enamored with him. Who fucking wasn’t?

You ran in the same circles, but had never truly hung out just yet. Every time he ran in to you, he’d thrown his hands up and yelled, “Y/N! Finally, the party can start!”

He found you funny and engaging. He always smiled at you in the hallway and wrapped you in those tight, one armed hugs. You found yourself gravitating towards him every time you saw him… being a slightly bolder, funnier version of yourself. You loved to make him laugh and catch his gold canines as his chubby cheeks pulled up in a smile.

No one ever remembered your birthday. You found yourself grinning as you tapped a response.

“Yeah it is, haha!”

The three dots bounced on your screen immediately.

“You doing anything tonight? We’ve gotta celebrate.”

You hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him about your pathetic plans. You elected to punt.

“What do you have in mind?”

The three dots didn’t return, and your heart sunk a bit. But you knew getting your hopes up was dumb. You were about to shove your phone back in your pocket when it vibrated again.

“Meet me at Roxy’s at 6:30.”

That wasn’t a lot of time. You began to power walk down the street to your apartment so you could get dressed up. Your heart was racing and your cheeks already hurt from smiling.

–

You got out of the Lyft at 6:28 and looked around the street. You weren’t exactly sure where it was you were going, but you have two minutes to get there.

“Y/N!” you heard someone call.

You turned to see Erik holding the door open to a small little diner and you skipped across the street to him. His enormous, muscular arms enveloped you in a tight hug and you melted a little bit.

“Happy Birthday!” Erik wished you. “You look great!”

You grinned. You’d taken a chance wearing this tiny romper cause you knew your thighs were gonna rub together. You were glad it paid off.

Erik took your hand and led you in to the very small shop. You looked up at the menu. It was exclusively grilled cheese. How cute.

But Erik kept pulling you to the kitchen doors and away from the tiny counter. You walked by a man sitting atop a single stool guarding the doors and Erik nodded to him.

“She’s with me.”

He led you through the swinging doors. Your face was lined with confusion. Were you going to take a grilled cheese cooking class or something?

But instead of ending up in the kitchen, the doors opened up to a full, retro arcade.

Your face lit up.

The walls were lined with action figures and television playing old cartoons. Synthesized music pumped out of the speakers and people milled about waiting for their turn on different games. There were pinball machines and Pac Man…giant Mario Kart and other racing games, basketball, Dance Dance Revolution…

Erik wove expertly through the crowd, dragging you along behind him. He came up to the bar and pulled out a stool for you. You struggled a bit to get in it and your thick thighs spilled over the sides a little, but once you were finally atop it, you sat face to face with Erik who was still standing.

“Whachu want?” he yelled over the music. “It’s on me. Whatever you want!”

You were frankly overwhelmed. For as much as you always wanted someone to make a big deal on your birthday, you were entirely unprepared. You scanned the bar quickly and your eyes came to rest on a boozie slushie machine. You pointed at it and Erik laughed.

“Aight! You’re tryna get fucked up. I see! AY, TONY!”

He beckoned the bartender over who dapped him up. Erik ordered himself a beer and you one of the sugary slushies.

“And it’s the lady’s birthday!” he informed his friend. Tony smiled a large toothy grin and leaned over the bar to you.

“Happy birthday!” He slid a paper party plate over to you with a singular twinkie and popped a candle in to it. Tony produced a lighter from his pocket and lit up your mini cake.

You felt as if you’d melt in to the floor as Erik and Tony began to sing to you. This was the most.

You made a wish and shoved the twinkie in to your mouth. Erik laughed and handed you a small golden pouch.

You opened it to find gold tokens for the games behind you.

“Oh, wait!” Erik said suddenly, digging in his pants pockets. He pulled out at least six more tokens and added them to you stash.

“I’m guessing you come here often?” you laughed.

“Oh, yeah! I’m a huge fucking nerd, girl. You didn’t know?”

The two of you spent the night competing and jabbing at one another. Though he got more baskets than you in hoops, you kicked his ass at DDR. He defeated all of his opponents in Mortal Kombat and you died before you could even figure out the controls.

He purchased an entire cup full of tokens and bought you another drink. He lost his shit when you accidentally went to drink from the token cup instead of your slushie. In retaliation, you challenged him to a pinball tournament.

That boy was screwed from the jump. You hustled him.

“Ya girl grew up without internet, Erik!” you yelled over the crowd as your points mounted. “It was Microsoft Pinball all day every day!”

You threw up your hands as you beat his high score and let out a loud whoop.

“SUCK IT!”

You turned to away from the machine to gloat in his face when his lips suddenly met yours.

You were completely shocked and hesitated a moment before leaning in.

His strong hands came to a rest on your plush waist and he sucked on your bottom lip. The tips of his dreads tickled your face and he backed you up in to the pinball machine. He kept kissing you until a frustrated dude waiting for his turn on The Addams Family Pinball Machine interrupted the two of you.

“Hey! Get a room!”

Erik pulled away from you with a devilish smirk on his face.

“I win.”


End file.
